I am sure you have heard or read of it in various articles or here and there: with the exception of Canadians, it is very hard for international students to be admitted to an American medical school. That is a fact. According to the official AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) report from 2011, only some 13% of international applicants to medical schools in the US eventually matriculated. That is a really low number, considering that in comparison, up to a half of US-citizen applicants get admitted to at least one medical college - so why is that so?

One of the main reasons for this is that unlike American citizens, internationals are not eligible for federal financial aid or loans, and so most often, they need to provide their own funding for the entire duration of their studies - and sometimes they even need to prove that they have enough money (up to total of around $200,000) on their account at the time of their admission.

[More general info about obstacles for international students on the official NAAHP (National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions) webpage.]

And even the most prestigious schools are aware of it.

Let's be real

The university of Yale, for example, is being deterrent of international pre-meds, this is an excerpt from their Special Note to International Students Intending to Study Medicine:

It is extremely difficult for international applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States to gain admission to U.S. medical schools. (...) International applicants who are considering a career as a medical doctor and hope to receive their education at an American medical school should think carefully before applying for admission to an undergraduate program in the United States.

Hope College is even a little more discouraging:
(Note: the dubious statistics here is, in fact, too discouraging - from the numbers they mention, it follows that "more than 13% (0.132) of the international students who applied to medical school were accepted and enrolled," as mentioned in the first paragraph of this post. The point they make is still valid, though, I guess.)

We believe it is unfair and dishonest to suggest that attending a US college or university will provide international students with a strong chance of gaining admission to medical school.

International students not holding a green card will have a more challenging time in the school admissions process, because only a limited number of schools can consider them.

This might be enough to illustrate that it is, indeed, hard to get into a medical school for international students. If this section made you believe that no American university can possibly admit you, this is heads-up for you: some of them out there actually might!

Good news

In fact, out of the total number of 141 medical schools in the US, more than 60 consider foreign applicants [according to we.jhu.eduand NAAHPofficial websites]. The policies of most of those that do are as follows, by state:
[in square brackets, you can find the available 2013 US Med Schools rankings]

Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California [31]: applicant must have 1 yr of study in accredited US school & meet INS requirements

Loma Linda University School of Medicine: must provide evidence of ability to pay

Stanford University School of Medicine [2]: 1-5 accepted each year; must prepay tuition or establish escrow account for 4 years of tuition and expenses

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA [13]: internationals are considered like everyone else; must show sufficient guarantee of financial support; financial aid is not available; 1 student is admitted every 4-5 years

University of California San Francisco [4]: Rare for those w/o permanent residency; must show proof of ability to finance education as funding not given to them

University of California, Davis School of Medicine [42]: must provide proof of the availability of sufficient funds for completion of the program

Irvine-College/Medicine, University of California [42]: accepts international applicants if completed minimum of 1 year of college at a US institution; preference given to US citizens & green card holders

Colorado

University of Colorado School of Medicine [35]: 6 admitted in last 6 years; must deposit 4 years of tuition and fees into a escrow account

Connecticut

University of Connecticut School of Medicine [59]: Usually 2-4 in freshman class; must show they can cover reasonable portion of expenses; policy currently reviewed (until June 3, 2013)

Yale University School of Medicine [7]: 10-11 enter each year; must provide proof on year-to-year basis they can cover cost

District of Columbia

Georgetown University School of Medicine [48]: 1-3 matriculate each year. All considered w/o regard to citizenship; must show proof of financial support

Howard University : International students accepted on a limited basis

George Washington University School of Medicine [57]: Must apply to the 5 year International MD program and have foreign sponsor who will pay costs; no financial aid available for international students

Georgia

Emory University School of Medicine [22]: 8-10 accepted each year; must provide proof of payment of tuition and $30,000 expenses per year; no financial aid

Hawaii

University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine [82]: Number accepted varies; must meet INS requirements for student visa and show financial support

Illinois

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine [18]: In 2011, 635 applied with about 16% accepted; international students are offered financial aid

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science: Around 36 in 3 years accepted; required to provide proof of ability to pay 1st year of med school, expenses and supplies; no financial aid available

University of Chicago - Pritzker School of Medicine [8]: 10/600 accepted in past 3 years; must show plan of payment for meeting their financial obligations

Kentucky

University of Kentucky College of Medicine [59]: 8 accepted in last 3 years; show proof to pay 2 years of expenses and have a detailed plan of payment of last 2 years

Luisiana

Tulane University School of Medicine: 6/100 accepted in last few years; strong preference for US citizens and permanent residents

Massachusetts

Harvard Medical School [1]: Take at least 1 yr of coursework at US institution; proof of ability to pay 1 yr expenses required; financial aid is limited to institutional, not federal programs, but is comparable to the aid for domestic students

Saint Louis University School of Medicine [70]: 5 accepted per year; must escrow four years of tuition

Washington University School of Medicine [6]: no need-based financial aid, but eligible for MSTP institutional funding and merit-based financial aid; must escrow four years of tuition

Nebraska

Creighton University School of Medicine [82]: Must complete all prerequisites at US or Canadian school and provide escrow for all 4 years of tuition and fees; no financial aid available

New Hampshire

Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth [38]: Considers everyone; must show proof of deposited funds to cover 1st year expenses; limited financial aid available

New Jersey

Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School: Applications accepted, though no international applicants were admitted or interviewed recently.

New York

Albert Einstein College of Medicine [38]: Must deposit funds to cover estimated tuition for first 2 years or forfeit their place in the class; minimal (only partial) financial aid available

Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons [8]: ~8 per year accepted; must put 1 year's tuition into escrow; may apply for Columbia financial aid

Mount Sinai School of Medicine [18]: 20+ accepted in last 3 yrs, must prepay tuition or have an escrow account equal to 1 years tuition; No financial aid available

New York Medical College: 2-3 per year; must prepay tuition for 4 years; financial aid is not available for those without permanent residency

Stony Brook University School of Medicine: Applications accepted, though no international applicants were admitted or interviewed recently.

SUNY Upstate Medical University: Non citizens without permanent residency considered if they have very strong credentials, meet INS requirements, have escrow account for 4 years

Weill Medical College of Cornell University [16]: No financial aid available; must pay 4 yrs tuition in advance/deposit in escrow

North Carolina

Duke University School of Medicine [8]: Accepts 3-4/200 applicants; must provide evidence of ability to pay entire 4 years of schoolJoint MD program with the Graduate school of Singapore, admitting international applicants, fully funded; required to sign a service commitment agreement for 5 years in Singapore

University of North Carolina School of Medicine [22]: Not eligible for fed loans/scholarships. Must provide evidence of ability to pay entire 4 years of school

Ohio

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine [25]: Less than 5% admitted; have higher MCAT and GPAs than US applicants; no financial aid & 2 years tuition must be in escrow account

Pennsylvania

Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University [64]: 15 accepted in past 3 years; 1 year tuition in escrow, no financial aid available

Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine: No financial aid available; must pay 4 years tuition in advance prior to acceptance

Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania [4]: Accepts 2/year in combined degree program which provides tuition; must have escrow account and spend 12 months at a US institution before applying; financial aid otherwise not available

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine [16]: Must have 1 year of undergraduate or graduate level study in US; limited scholarships; must place funds in escrow account

Puerto Rico

Ponce School of Medicine: Must have a BA degree for US institution to be accepted and meet immigration requirements; financial aid not available

Universidad Central Del Caribe: Must meet INS requirements and prepay 1st year tuition and show evidence of ability to pay for rest of cost of attendance

Rhode Island

Alpert Medical School, Brown University [31]: Must meet INS requirements and have escrow account for all 4 years of tuition; financial aid is available to 1-2 international students in each entering class

South Carolina

Medical University of South Carolina [59]: SC residency is primary consideration; out of state applicants generally MD/PhD candidates or with strong family ties to the State of SC

Tennessee

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine [14]: Can apply; financial aid is available but must show financial ability to attend each year of school

Baylor College of Medicine [18]: Foreign students are considered for admissions w 1-2 accepted; no financial aid available for these students

Meharry Medical College: 10/200 have been accepted in 3 years

Utah

University of Utah School of Medicine [48]: 7 accepted in last 3 years; not eligible for federal loans or scholarships; must provide evidence of ability to pay entire 4 years of school

Virginia

University of Virginia School of Medicine [26]: Must have 90 semester hours of courses from US institution; not eligible for fed loans or scholarships; must provide evidence of ability to pay entire 4 years

Wisconsin

Medical College of Wisconsin [51]: 2 matriculated in last 3 yrs; must prove ability to pay all costs

In the list above, you can find medical schools of allopathic medicine (where you obtain the title MD), which most pre-meds focus on.
In the following list, though, you can also look at the schools of osteopathic medicine (resulting in a DO title), taken from aacom.org, which are considerably more open to international students (19 out of total of 29 of them accept foreigners):(In one of my following posts I will explain the difference between the two.)

This is a wonderful list, but please remove Mayo Medical School, as they no longer accept international students. This is a quote from their website:

"All M.D. program applicants must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or Canada at the time of application. Foreign nationals, regardless of Visa status, are not eligible for admission to Mayo Medical School."

The source of the quote is at http://www.mayo.edu/mms/programs/md/admissions/prerequisites

Thank you for this helpful list. It might be worth adding a list of osteopathic medical schools which accept international students.This can also be found: http://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Pages/default.aspx

Hi!There are several schools that do consider international transfer students - you can read more info here:http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/medical-school-admissions-doctor/2011/09/12/transferring-from-foreign-medical-schools

AAMC has a really good search engine for these:https://services.aamc.org/tsp_reports/

My daughter finished her undergraduate degee at a Canadian Univerity and wants to look at medical schools in US. what are the vies of a DO degree. Will she be able to do residenc after? which DO schools are good?

Nice list you've got here. Just so you know, the university of south alabama only accepts int'l students with permanent resident status. Their website states: "International students admitted to the College of Medicine must have Permanent Resident status in the United States." (http://www.usahealthsystem.com/doctor-of-medicine)

Sir My Name is Salman I belong to backward area of Pakistan.Done my FSC With minimum 60% marks I want to take admission in Any Medical college Of united states. with low tuition and hostel fees.. please help me and sent me best Medical college name and fee details for international students..

Hi!Requirements for medical schools in the US generally require at least some education in the US prior to applying, as well as a specific set of courses. For more information, please, refer to the list of topics in the right column.

I just have a quick question about your lists:If they don't specifically mention here about "...only Canadians", can I consider those as ones that accept intl students other than Canadians? So for instance, MSU-COM accepts intl students other than Canadians? Is this the right interpretation of your list?

UT Texas does not accept international students anymore as well. Taken right from the website - "You must be a U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident, or Pending a Permanent Resident in order to be considered for an interview."

hello, um from Bangladesh, just completed my 12th n looking forward for getting admit in any of medical college in Canada. i got a Permanent Residence visa but i haven't any IELTS score. Well my question is, as i have permanent residence visa will it be tough for me to get admitted in any medical college university in Canada? Can i get any facility as a PR holder? THANK YOU :)

Hello!Unfortunately, I am really not sure about medical schools in Canada, although they seem to have a very similar system to those in the US.The way it works in the US is that MOST schools consider permanent residence as if they were citizens, including the financial support - but again, you should double-check if it works the same way in Canada.Good luck!!

Hello,My name is Dhiren. Currently, i am on H1-b visa status in USA. I work as a physical therapist. I want to enroll in medical school. I finished my bachelor degree in India. Undergrad in India is quite different than in USA that some basic science courses like Physics, chemistry and biology were in 12th class and not in my undergrad like in USA. I had most of other medical science course in my undergrad degree. My question is do i need to enroll in premedical programs to fulfill my education requirements for Medical school? I have 3 years clinical experience in USA. How competitive it would be for me to get into med school? Thank you.

Unfortunately, most medical schools do, indeed, require at least one year at a US undergraduate institution before applying to them.Competitiveness depends on many different factors, but one of the main questions is whether you would like to apply for a financial aid from the school you would like to go to - or you can cover the expenses on your own. For more information on that, look at the US medical schools that provide financial support for internationals:http://premedusa.blogspot.com/2013/05/paying-for-medical-school.html

Dear Marek,Hi,Please guide us, as my daughter is studying in Avalon University School of Medicine in Caribbean State of Curacao with there setup in Ohio (US). She has completed her Pre Med and now in MD 1. Is it possible to shift her to US or Canada at this stage? And is it wise decision?Please do guide as we feel lost on this matter and subject.Please mail if possible to chandrutl@hotmail.com.ThanksChandru

I`m a pharmacy student in Egypt , i will come to America with Bachelor degree in pharmacy , i have studied all pre-medical courses in my college , in this situation , How long i will spend on Pre medical before entry MD program ?????????????????

Hello Khalid,most likely, you will need to join one of the post-baccalaureate pre-medical programs in the US (see the official AAMC list here: https://services.aamc.org/postbac/ ) and then, you will need to contact the specific medical colleges of your choice, what is the minimum requirement for undergraduate education in the US before applying for the med school. Most schools require 2-3 years of attendance of a US undergraduate school before applying; almost all of them require at least 1 year.

Thanks for the list. My daughter is studing in India now she is in 12th grade ( i.e two years- Physics, Chemistry , Biology, Maths with 2 years lab) she wants to study medical in USA. Next years she complets what are the requirements and which medical college can give admission (student visa )i would like to know less cost of living - medical college so that we can pay tutuion fees please guide us my email id: mirandaprecilla@gmail.com . Hope to receive your reply.

My name is Darya. I am from Belarus, but now I am living in the US in Philly. I am a permanent resident. In my country I studied in the Belorussian State Medical University. I finished only 3 years and after that came to the US. I want to continue my medical education in this country and want to become a doctor. I learned all pre-med subject such as anatomy, physiology, biology, non-organic and organic chemistry, physics, histology, pathology, Latin and others. I did evaluation of my medical education from WES and I have 111.5 credits and GPA 3.05 Can you give me an advice what should I do at first with my documents? Please mail if possible to darya.webdew@gmail.com Thank you for your help.

Hello, thanks for the list. I am an old foreign medical graduate working with a H1b1 visa in the US as a statistician. I have tried applying for residency programs and been so frustrated with no interviews. I intend to go back to medical school in the US (I intend to sponsor myself). With a medical degree abroad, volunteer and clinical experiences, publication and poster presentations as well as an MPH in the US, do I have a chance? I really want to practice medicine, it's my passion.

Hello - if you already have a medical degree from a foreign medical school, I believe you should be able to do at least some residency exchange program or something temporary that would later lead to a more permanent position. I do believe there should be an easier way for you to go through the process than going through the entire medical school again.Moreover, how long have you been working here on you visa? After some 5 years you should be able to apply for a residency, which still might be a faster process than doing an entire medical program.I hope this helps, good luck!!

Hi.this is Tinni from Bangladesh. I'm doing bsc in laboratory medicine. Want to do my internship in us.what are the opportunities for me? Which college or university will offer me these program? Am I eligible for any financial aid?please reply me at habiba_tinni@yahoo.com

hi there my name is Mark and i have just finished high school. I am from South Africa and i wanted to study medicine and surgery here but the requirements are to high for someone of my ethnic group. Medicine has been on my mind for a long time and i would really like to study overseas as an international student. I did physics ,chemistry ,maths ,english ,biology , even geography and a few other subjects . English is my home language so language isn't a problem. Though i do find a bit of this confusing because I am not familiar with the US college related terminology. Id like to know which universities would be best for me and also those that would offer some financial aid. Please reply asap and tell me where should i start looking.

Hi Mark!!First of all, you would most probably need to attend a college in the US (4 years of undergraduate studies), during which you would fulfill the pre-med requirements - only then would you be eligible to apply for a medical school in the US.In case you have further questions, please, write me a message via the "Contact Me!" form below!

Hi I am yuggie from Nigeria. I have a B.Sc in biochemistry/microbiolmicrobiology from university of Nigeria. I wish to study medicine in Canada or US and I want to know if they permit international students to work there after their study. Tnx. Pls reply via ugochiajaero@yahoo.com.

Hi and hello, please help me to qualify in college at USA or Canada for 1st year Pre-Medical. I sailed through my matricultation, and obtained good marks with 65%. I am from Pakistan, from Balochistan Province. And I want to study aboard. Thanks!

It’s good news that there are at least some schools out there that will consider international applicants. It’s a question of hard work, persistence, and the ability to find those schools that will offer places to people from other countries that can support themselves and also have the talent to complete the program. Thank you for the list – it is also helpful to read the comments.

Hello,My daughter has been in the USA since grade 8. She is attending Premed at a prestigious private college in Tennessee. She is on H4 as I am on H1-B. It may take more than 8 years for me to get a green card. She will have study further on a F1 as she will become 21 in 2-1/2 years. Is there any Medical School that she can enroll in on F1. Paying tutions for the school is not a problem. Thanks

Hi,Basically, all of the schools in the list above are the schools that would accept your daughter on F-1 visa status - and as you are saying that the tuition would not be a problem, she would be eligible to attend (once admitted)!Good luck!!

It depends on the specific school you would like to apply to, but usually, at least 2-3 years of attendance of a US undergraduate school are required.I suggest that you look at some post-baccalaureate programs, where you could also finish any pre-med requirements you might be missing.I strongly recommend you to contact the schools you would like to apply to in order to see what you should do in your specific situation.

Hi,I'm from Slovakia, I just started my second semester in junior college major Natural science in Oklahoma. I was admitted to med school in Ostrava, but then I decided to come to US, because I got a sport stipendium. What do you think about my chances to study medicine in US? Thanks!

Congratulations on your stipend! You definitely do have a chance to study medicine in the US - just keep in mind that this process is rather competitive for international students, and so you'll need a competitive GPA, MCAT, as well as med-related activities.I hope this helps - if you have any further questions, feel free to e-mail me at premedusablog@gmail.com !

Hi I wuld luv to geÞ some measure of assistance here. Am femi frm nigerian with a bachelors degree in nursing science and am interested in studying medicine tru the DO pathway cos I envision they might be more welcoming to my application considering my degree was gotten in nigeria. Pls wot are my chances of being admitted to UNTCOM in texas? Though I haven't taken the mcat, u can reach me via my email address; Alabifm4real@yahoo.com. Thanks for ur anticipated response

Hi. Thanks alot.Its really a good list.Am roy from Kenya and have one question. Do all universities require yu to do a first degree or are there those that admit international students directly into med school.Please advise

thanks Sir for very informative list. I graduated from Sudan and I have Master degree in Plant Pathology, I want to apply for medical school. I came here as permanent resident with green card. which of those medical school i can apply to.

Hi, thanks a lot for your comment, I'm glad I could help!As far as I know, with a green card, you should be able to apply to all of the schools above and many more, actually - almost all US medical schools should accept your application, as most of them treat a green card as equivalent to citizenship.On the other hand, you might have to take some courses at a US undergraduate/post-baccalaureate institution, as most schools require that (for more information, see the pre-med requirements: http://premedusa.blogspot.com/2012/12/pre-medical-requirements.html )

I am not sure what international fees you mean specifically. As far as I know, tuition fees are the same for everyone - the difference is that international students are not able to use US federal financial aid (including Canadians). For Canadians, though, there are two main differences - first of all, many US schools will admit Canadian citizens, while not any other international student AND Canadians might be able to get loans back home (be it governmental or institutional, I am not sure which are available to you) and transfer these funds to pay for their studies here.When it comes to the fees themselves, they are the same for everyone - but the source of funding can differ.

Marek,You have a good list there, right now i know that there are a number of medical schools that accept degrees from the UK. I could only find about three med schools which are Virginia, northwestern and Stanford who say they would accept applicant with UK degrees. However is there some sort of coursework or do you have to do an additional year in the us? Are there conditions to accepting uk degrees? does it mean you don't have to do prerequisites? Also could you list all us med schools that accept UK degrees. Thanks.

This looks like you are in a very particular situation and unfortunately, I do not have any information about such specific cases. Personally, I do think that you would still be required to complete at least some 2 years of attendance at a US undergraduate school.I would strongly suggest that you contact the schools you would like to apply to (start with the three you mentioned) and ask them about your specific case - I am sure they would be more than happy to assist you!Let me know if there is any other way I could help you.

I have not graduated from a UK university or entered one yet. I am just curious could you also help me out on medical schools that accept canadian degrees. I am thinking of applying to top universities in canada specifically mcgill and toronto. Would doing the prerequisites there be enough? Are canadian degrees accepted? And last but not least can Toronto and Mcgill students make it to top med schools like Stanford and Harvard.Plus on medical schools that accept UK degrees virginia say no prerequisites are required.Thanks

I believe that Canadian degrees are widely accepted. Thanks for bringing this to my attention (I suppose you were referring to this website: http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/education/medical-students/admissions/the-uva-som-1/general-requirements.html ) - the medical school requirements are widely changing, and so these days, some schools do not require pre-med curriculum anymore, although they still strongly recommend it.The competitiveness of schools later when applying to medical school is somewhat a factor, but I would say it is more important how well you do at those schools, rather than the school itself. (But the better undergraduate school, the relatively more competitive your application.)I am not familiar with McGill and school of Toronto, so I'm afraid this is as much as I can answer this question, as I do not want to give you misleading information.

I have actually discovered that students that graduate from canadian med schools that are recognized are considered equal to us degrees. The canadian system is similar to the u.s system and you can take prerequisites in all the canadian schools. Toronto university is ranked 17 in the world according to QS and Mcgill is ranked 21 they are both well known. Every medical residency program considers canadian medical graduates equal to us medical graduates. Actually it is US and canadian allopathic schools first, then osteopathic us med schools then international medical graduates so canadian medical graduates are at no disadvantage. Maryland states this "Graduates of a medical school in the United States and Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) OR graduates of colleges of osteopathic medicine in the United States accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)." So canadian allopathic graduates are at no disadvantage except for visa paper work which can be annoying. You can apply just like an allopathic us degree holder. Therefore you should add all canadian medical schools accredited by Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) as an equal alternative. You should add all LCME canadian medical schools from this list https://www.lcme.org/directory.htm . Thanks

Thank you SO MUCH for all this valuable information, that's a lot of work you put into this.As these schools are Canadian schools, it would probably require a separate post - and although I am eager to do that, I believe it would require a lot more research in order to find out which of these Canadian schools consider or admit international (i.e. non-US and non-Canadian, in this case) applicants - because eligibility of the degree is one thing, but citizenship is another. (And so this might take some time.)Do you have any ideas on this? Maybe you already found out the answer?THANK YOU!!

I would also like to know my chances if i attend a top liberal arts college in the us like trinity college, williams college, wesleyan college, bates college, amherst college or boston college. Will those schools give me good recommendations as an international student? and will i have a better chance? Finances really isn't a problem. Also if i graduate from a us med school will my application to residency be affected by citizenship? even if i apply using the same system as domestic students will i have to go to a top medical school to be considered for competitive residency spots? I really want to major in neuroscience get a masters then an M.D before becoming a neurosurgeon which is quite a competitive spot. Toronto and Mcgill are excellent schools so i don't know why it would be an issue since canadian and us systems are similar.

I can see you are very well informed and more or less, that is exactly what I can tell you - schools that you listed are definitely good ones and so if you do well during your undergraduate studies, you will be a competitive applicant to be admitted for a medical school. It really depends on your academic as well as extracurricular performance during your college.You have a great advantage if you do not need any additional finances to pay for your medical school - that gives you a much wider selection of schools to apply to.As you are well aware, residency spots are competitive (especially for neurosurgeons), and so, again, your ability to reach any of those will be determined by how well you do during medical school. And yes, I do believe that the competition is even higher for internationals, but again, it is not impossible. (I personally know a neurosurgeon, who is a non-US citizen.)I hope this helps - you are asking the right questions, but there are no straightforward or all-encompassing answers to them. But I do believe that even an international student in a position like you or me does have a shot.Good luck!!

hey i am a graduate in microbiology,genetics and chemistryits actually 3yrs course i got to know to appy for med school i need 4 years of graduate education so any suggestions i want to apply any college in texas so i am gng to take mcat this summer and in 2015 my bro is gonna get me green card so is there any chance of getting to med school and am i eligible for scholar ships and other stuff please reply to my mail id saitarun7777@gmail.com i would really apperciate ur reply.

In terms of the requirements - it very much depends where your undergraduate degree is from. If it is from a country other than the US, you probably would need to fulfill at least some of the pre-medical requirements in the US before applying. For that, it might be sufficient for you to attend a post-baccalaureate program with pre-med requirements.

If your degree is from the US, you just need to make sure to have fulfilled all of the academic requirements, but might not have to attend any academic program for a longer period of time.Your chances of getting into a medical school and getting a scholarship would be much higher with a green card, and so if you are expecting to get one, I suggest that you wait to apply after you do. Then, you would be treated as a US citizen, giving you options to apply pretty much anywhere (although usual in/out of state residency restrictions might apply).

hi MarekI am anew permanent resident in new jersey and currently I am in the 3rd year in an Egyptian medical college which is equal to the 2nd year in the premed school in America I have studied anatomy, histology, physiology and biochemistry and currently I am studying pharmacology, pathology, parasitology, microbiology and immunology and do not know what to do can you Sir advise me what to do also I will immigrate with my family ,you can reach me via my email address abanoubsafwat87@yahoo.com .

Thank you for your response but I have a little problem.According to we.jhu.edu Johns Hopkins school of medicine has no financial aid available to international students but your statistics above indicates Johns Hopkins school of medicine has financial aid available.It really contradicts.Can I know anything about Johns Hopkins school of medicine when it comes to availability of financial aid for international students.

No problem!As you can see in my post about financing medical school in the US (http://premedusa.blogspot.com/2013/05/paying-for-medical-school.html), there actually IS financial aid available for international students at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine! For more info, look here: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/som/offices/finaid/international/index.htmlPlease, just keep in mind that admission to this school is very competitive, and even more so would be getting such scholarship.I hope this helps!

Hello Marek,You have very informative website. I have a question about aspiring medical student from Ukraine. He and his mother have decided to immigrate to USA due to current unstable political situation. He has studied in a university medical school in Kharkov city and has been a standout student. He does not have any particular visa but his mother holds a tourist visa, and she is preparing to apply for a tourist visa for him. He is in 2nd year of medical school, and should be finishing his academic year in short while.Here is my question: what are his options and what are his chances of getting into a medical program here in USA. Their long term goal is to live in USA. By the way, I am a USA citizen.Nandu Marketkar

I am glad you like my blog!If he chooses to start the medical school from scratch, he would likely encounter some problems, as most schools require at least a few years of schooling in the US - like an undergraduate school, or a post-baccalaureate program.Personally, I believe that a transfer would be a better option for him, as he already seems to have completed some medical education already. Please, look at this search engine of transfer policies of US medical schools for more information:https://services.aamc.org/tsp_reports/

If he managed to obtain a permanent residency or a citizenship, it would make the process considerably easier for him. I hope this helps!Good luck!

Hello I'm IGCSE student and I was looking forward to enter premedical and medical schools in USA but I had problems to apply for it is that I don't know what are the Requirments to enter and what is the SAT score to enter and if I have to take SAT subjects or no and do I have to take ilets. Thanks in advance Note: I like your artical so much thanks you.

IGCSE or IELTS are usually not required at US colleges. You definitely will have to take either SAT I or ACT exam and most schools will also require SAT II (subject tests). International students often will also have to take the TOEFL.Sufficient SAT score depends on each school - for more information, look at https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search?navid=gh-csIt might be also helpful to find more information about undergraduate programs in the US at http://www.collegeconfidential.com/ - especially the forum is helpful.

With regards to pre-medical requirements for US medical schools, check out my post at http://premedusa.blogspot.com/2012/12/pre-medical-requirements.html

Hi, Marek!I wanted to ask you if you were familiar with http://www.usmle.org/ and if you would recommend it...I am an international student from Bulgaria, a college freshman in the States, and I have to decide whether to go back to Bulgaria, graduate Medicine and take those exams (specialize in the States), or to try to graduate in the USA. Can you give me any advice? Thank you in advance!

USMLE.org is the official website for the physician exams in the US (USMLE Step 1, 2, and 3) and it is a trustworthy website.

From what I have heard, talking to IMGs (International Medical Graduates), it is eventually more advantageous for international students to study medicine in the US as long as they can make it (as opposed to studying elsewhere and completing the USMLE), if they would like to practice in the US - especially in terms of competition for residency spots. While spots for IMGs are very limited and some specialties are not available for them at all, international students who graduated from US medical schools are taken almost the same way as any other US med school graduates (there are only some visa-related restrictions, so the competition for residency is little higher, but otherwise it's basically the same).

Hello Jueli!Thanks for your comment! I am really happy you like it! I also recommend you to visit an updated version of this list here: http://premedusa.blogspot.com/2014/06/US-Medical-Schools-for-Internationals-Updated.html

Hi!Sorry - for security (anti-spam) reasons I would prefer if you could contact me with your questions directly using the Contact Me tab: http://premedusa.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.htmlI'll be happy to respond to you - thanks for your understanding!

Hi! I am not sure what situation there is for Caribbean students who are US citizens - but try looking at the Transfer Policies of US medical schools here:https://services.aamc.org/tsp_reports/I hope this helps - good luck!

Hello! My name is Faizan. I am currently on F1 visa but have been living in United States for 8 years as I was on H4 visa earlier. My dad and I had to switch visa due to some problems regarding my dad's employer and our green card process. So, I have been to high school to United States and now I am attending a university here in US also as I am trying to get my undergraduate degree. So I wanted to know whether I am a permanent resident or not and if I can apply to any medical schools or only those who accept International Students? Thank You for your help.

I defintely agree with Zess - the International Students and Scholars Office (or an equivalent) at your school should be able to help you.According to my information, though, if you are still in the application process for the Green Card, you are not considered to be a US citizen until you obtain it - and during that time, you would be only able to apply for medical schools that accept internationals.In order to significantly increase your chances, I would suggest that you wait until you obtain your Green Card (if possible).

Thanks for your important information. It really helps. I am currently studying my PhD in medicine science. I want to perform clinical medicine in US. So I guess I have to enroll in a medical school. What is your recommendation, please contact to me by wlp26756@126.com

Hello,I apologize, but as a protection against spam, I do not contact e-mails posted in the comments. You can either ask a question right here in the comments, or visit the "contact me" tab. Thanks for your understanding!

I am currently a high school senior in the U.S. (with U.S. citizenship) and I'm debating between attending a school in the U.S. versus a school in Japan or Taiwan. One of the biggest reasons why I want to study out of the states is financial problems --I figured I should save up as much as I can in preparation for medical school. However, after reading some of these posts, it seems like it's very difficult to apply back to the U.S. as an international student. Is the policy just as strict if I'm an U.S. citizen already?

I understand your reasoning - but you understand it correctly: in order to be able to apply for US medical schools, at least some undergraduate coursework in the US is required.For you, therefore, I'd say the easiest way would be to go straight through a US college. More so if you are already a US citizen: if finances are an issue, you should be able to find a US college that will be able to offer you as a US citizen some affordable tuition fees (especially in-state colleges). That will also apply later for medical schools, as those usually have lower tuition fees (as well as somewhat less stringent academic requirements) for in-state applicants.

I'm in a similar situation (dual citizenship), but instead considering Canadian schools. I haven't completely ruled out American undergraduate programs, but Canadian are not only much less expensive, but, as far as I can tell (which increasingly seems to feel like very little) easier to be admitted to.Do I need an undergraduate in the US if I get a Canadian undergraduate degree and US citizenship?

I believe I currently have a classmate at my medical school, who is a Canadian citizen who did his undergraduate degree in Canada. Therefore, I'd suggest that you contact the schools you're interested in and ask them about this specific policy. If you get a chance to do that, let me know what they say, I myself (as well as other students here, I'm sure) would be interested to know! :) Good luck!

Hi..I m a student completed my higher school from India. I want to apply for medical school in US and also i have got permanent residence visa.So my question is will i get the admission in top college and also if i do my undergraduate from elsewhere so will i eligible for DO in USA.

It is hard to say whether you will or will not be admitted to a "top college," though from what you are writing, I can't see why you could not!

According to AACOM (American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine), "majority of DO programs require that you have your foreign coursework submitted to a U.S.-based evaluation service for a course-by-course U.S. equivalency report," from which I am assuming that it is possible to apply to at least some osteopathic medical schools in the US, having attended a foreign college. For more information, though, I would encourage you to contact the schools of your choice, I'm sure they will be happy to answer your questions!

Request you to kindly share your email ID with me on my account mamtasingh8811@gmail, I am in a situation and need to ask you some very important questions regarding medical school.. please reply to me on my email.

I am sorry, but because of spam, I do not reply to e-mail addresses posted as comments on my blog. I will be happy to answer your questions here, though, and in case you'd like me to respond to you via e-mail, send me a message using instructions in the "Contact Me" tab!

HiI'm Angel a medical graduate from Indonesia. I want to apply to plastic surgery residency in the usa. For me and my family the biggest issue after all is the cost. How much is mean annual cost for a plastic surgery resident in usa? Considering the integrated 6 year programs we have to pay the tuition in advance dont we? I'd be delighted to know more. Please kindly reply to me. My email is angel.goenawan@gmail.com.thank you.

I am sorry but I do not respond to e-mails posted as comments due to the danger of spam. If you would like to receive an e-mail response from me, please contact me through one of the ways described in the "Contact Me" tab.

With respect to your question - as far as I know, during residency, you are being paid as a working physician, and so I believe overall, this should not come at any extra cost to your family, given that you are able to secure a residency position, which is very competitive for IMGs, especially in highly competitive specialties, such as plastic surgery.

Dont be discouraged! I am an international student and after seeing this list I decided to give it a try. I used this list to as a resource to decide to which schools I was going to apply and surprise! I ended up being accepted in a very nice highly-ranked medical school. Is not impossible but it will be hard (and expensive!) so if you really plan to do this you'd better start working hard early. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I'll be checking this post periodically for a few weeks just in case someone needs guidance.

I am extremely delighted to hear that my blog was of good use to you! Would you mind contacting me through the "Contact Me" tab so that we can get in touch and spread the word to other international pre-medical applicants together more efficiently?

I am a Junior, premed at Concord University, WV preparing to take the MCAT. It gives me joy and hope to know that a fellow international like me has witnessed the other side of the road. I really need guidance as to how to make it through to med school. How can I contact you?

As mentioned in my post "Pre-Medical Course Requirements," US undergraduate education is required at most US medical schools for acceptance (there are few exceptions allowing Canadian or British education as well). If you have finished your medical education already, you might be able to apply for residency in the US.

Hey, need help. I am on H1 b visa, working as Physical therapist in USA. I did bachelorette from India and studied Master in sci from USA. I also did college level physics, math, english, from india. I hav also done online chemistry with lab from university of Phoenix. Now i want to apply for medicine school. AMCAS does not evaluate foreign transcripts to check whether i have all pre-requisite or not. Can you tell me which agency would check my foreign credential+ all credits done here in USA to check which subject i am lacking in?

Hi!Some US medical schools do accept even foreign undergraduate coursework (most usually from Canada and/or UK), and so there has to be a way for AMCAS to evaluate foreign transcripts. Therefore, I would strongly recommend you to contact the medical schools you would like to apply to and ask them how you can submit your grades and transcripts - if they accept them, they will be able to let you know the technical details. I am sure they will also be happy to let you know if you have all the prerequisites or not. Good luck!

I just graduated high school earning an almost 98%; one of the highest scores in the region.I am the first person in my family to earn a high score in high school. I have big dreams for my future, and the future of my family. Education is a big part of my dream and I am looking for help and support in order to achieve my dreams of studying medicine and becoming a doctor. With support, I am confident and sure that I will be able to reach my goals, and with this I would like to inquire and request to be considered for any full scholarships that your school in the United States of America may offer to me, and I promise to make a commitment to dedicate myself to the school, my studies, and eventually the community that I will serve, help to improve, and save lives. Please consider supporting me in achieving my dreams and goals of becoming a doctor. Thank you for your consideration.Sincerely, Amer

Unfortunately, I do not provide scholarships. I can only help you by giving you advice from my personal experience and research I have done about US medical school application process. Please, see one of my other posts for information about how to finance your US medical education.I hope this helps - best of luck with your studies!!

Hello Taarikaa!There are no undergraduate medical programs in the US per se - during any undergraduate program, however, you need to fulfill the pre-medical requirements in order to be able to apply for a graduate medical programs. More information here.

Creighton University Medical School does not accept International Students, from website: "US Residency RequirementsCreighton University School of Medicine requires applicants to be either United States citizens or United States permanent residents in order to qualify for admission. In addition, applicants are asked to complete their required courses at an accredited institution within the United States or Canada. "

Hello. I need help. I am Brazilian student currently in my junior year of high school. Would you please give me advice on any way I could build a profile that might be helpful in medical college applications in the US, and which colleges have proven to be most helpful in aiding Brazilian students? I already have a family member who is completing two years of studying in Waukesha, therefore I would have a supporter. Also, are you aware of any courses that would be helpful for entering a medical school in the U.S. (maybe online courses)? (Since fifth grade I have studied in an American Missionary school here in Brazil, except for my seventh and sophomore years, which were completed in a Brazilian school and in Portugal, respectively. Do you know if this might be helpful towards an acceptance?)

Thank you so much for the time you have already dedicated into making this blog! :)

Hi Rebecca, thank you for your kind message, I'll do my best to help you out!I am not sure what the specifics are for Brazilian students - though I did have a Brazilian friend at Columbia College, for example, so college seem to be receptive to you guys!For you personally, in order to increase your chances of being accepted to a US undergraduate college, I would suggest that you follow your passions and if you are successful in any of your activities, all the better. Definitely work on your English by reading and writing in English a lot. Moreover, as you are already in your junior year, I would start intense preparation for the standardized exams (SAT I/ACT, TOEFL) during this winter break so that you can give yourself enough time to retake any of them if you are not happy about your results. In the meantime, try to ask one of your English teachers to practice the SAT format essays, etc. (though the SAT format has changed since I took it, I believe).At this point, I would not necessarily worry about pre-medical courses, which will be completed during college - though good background in the sciences definitely cannot hurt.And in terms of your academic background - any diversity is helpful, that's for sure, so don't forget to mention it in your application!I would suggest that you check out the following websites, which were very helpful for me when I was applying for college:CollegeConfidential.com - ForumCollegeBoard.com

Dear Marek !Thank you so much for such great help for all the people. I was a teacher in US schools and i had my daugther with me, she too had attended US school till 7th grade. I had to come back to my country India as my J1 visa expired. Now my daugther is in 11th grade and I want to go back to America on J1 program. She is intending to go medicine in US. please suggest me how to go about it? and what are the financial constraints?

Hello, thank you very much for your message!In short, in 12th grade, your daughter should apply for a US college, where she will fulfill a pre-medical curriculum. Only after that can she apply for medical schools in the US. For more details, including information about financing, please, look through this blog more closely - if you can't find all the information you need, let me know!Good luck to you and your daughter, too!

Hi I am currently doing a degree in medical physics at the University of the West Indies and i was wondering what the requirements would be to attend medical school in the U.S and what are my chances? Also what are the financial constraints?

Hi!I would suggest that you look at various sections of this blog, where you can find most of the information you are looking for - including the pre-medical requirements and information about financing your medical education as an international student. Please, let me know if you have any further questions!Good luck!!

Hi Makhpal!Feel free to look over this blog, it should have answers to most of your questions! If you are still unsure about anything after that, feel free to contact me in person via the "Contact Me" section!Good luck!

Hi there I'm Tasneem and I'm from Bangladesh I've just completed my O levels exams and halfway on A levels my Dad is a US citizen we will be soon joining him and within the next year hopefully we will get PR and in 5 years time Citizenship I really want to study medicine in USA and serve as a medical officer in army (childhood dream :3) i havnt got a clue on what sort of preparations should I take or how to apply or what to do can you please guide me? TIA :)

Hi Tia!I'd suggest that you look over this blog for more information. You should find everything you need here. Also, please, note that as a US citizen, your situation will be very different from other international students (if you do, indeed, obtain a US citizenship).Good luck!

Hi, my name is Maria Lopes and I'm an exchange student from Brazil living in Crescent City, FL. I'm a senior and I was planing on studying human physiology at Boston University then going to a med school. However, after reading your post, my hopes are basically dead. I don't have the confidence in myself, I honestly don't think I'm going to be one of the few applicants accepted. My my question is: if by any chance I get admitted, is there any type of financial aid?

Hello. My brother wrote SAT and just got his result he scored 998/1600 and he wants to study medicine in usa with scholarship not neccesarily a full scholarship but at least half tuition....how can we go about it because he will like to resume in this new academic session..he would like to be in a cheap school with good and acredited medical school.........he his nigerian and reside in nigeria now so will like to relocate......if you have any info on how we can get him the scholarship and study...email me on....ayoola.obayomi@gmail.com...Please do not spam my mail with things not related to this or i will just block you

My son did his business management degree as well as courses in biology/physics/chemistry, all required courses to get admission in us medical schools. He studied all above in University of Houston. He is a canadian citizen and in line for green card. He got 508 in his MCAT exam. After studying 5 years towards medicine, he is telling me now that it is not possible to get admission in medical school. He also worked under 2 doctors for clinical experience for 6 months.

As a mother, I am total frustrated to see all this & I feel that he has a very bright future as a doctor. Pl. advise, email it to me at tatextiles@gmail .com

HiI am a Canadian Permanent resident pursuing my undergraduate degree here at the University of Toronto. I would like to go to medical school in the U.S. Could you please provide information on U.S. Medical schools that accept Canadians as non-international students?Thank you in advance!

I believe that the schools highlighted in red in this table consider Canadian citizens a merely "out of state applicants" and not "internationals" - because they simply do not accept any other internationals.I hope this helps!

Hi Marek Firstly thank you for the very informative article on the list of schools accepting internationals. My question is, Could you please let me know if there is an OPT period available after the 4 years of medical school ? if yes how many years ?Are Internationals(F1) selected for residency upon completion of MD from a Medical school in USA?

I'm glad you found it helpful!As far as I know, if you have not used your OPT during undergraduate studies, you should be able to use it after medical school. Most residency program, though, would prefer to do H-1B.The conditions are currently subject to change, however, so let's see what the new details will be.And yes, internationals are definitely eligible for US residency spots after completing MD at a US medical school - though, again, keep in mind that as they would most likely need to sponsor your H-1B visa, there is a limited amount of spots for internationals at programs that do offer this option, and hence again, the criteria will be somewhat harsher on us as opposed to US citizens.

Hello...My daughter is studing in 12th grade in Pakistan and she wants to get admission in medical in USA.What will be the way to get admission on study visa.My email is teeeeemi144@gmail.complz guide me as early as possible

Sir, I'm an eligible candidate from Sri Lanka with edexcel IGCSE results of 7A*s and GCE AS results of 3A 2B I have been looking into international student enrollment in Rutgers, NJ but the website does not state and specifics (such as scholarships etc.) Provided that I do my SATs, which universities would you recommend I apply to (including a scholarship)?

I would strongly recommend that you contact (by phone or e-mail) Rutgers Medical School in order to get the most accurate information about their admission requirements, etc.Please, though, note that one of the requirements for US medical schools is having attended a US undergraduate institution - thus, you would need to apply for as US college (with the SAT, etc.) first.I hope this helps - good luck!

I am currently a sophomor, who aspire to be a doctor, in one of the international high schools of Myanmar. Will summer programs give me advantages to study pre-med in US? Can you please give me advice on steps I have to complete in order to be able to study medicines in US? Thank you, Email: angeline.hlaing@gmail.com

Hi, Your web site has been so usefull thank you so much!I got a little question, so I am currently on my 2nd year in med school in France and in the future I would like to apply to an American Medical School. I am completly lost in all the informations please help

If you are already at a medical school, it might be easier for you to finish the French medical school and then apply for residency programs in the US as an IMG (International Medical Graduate) - if you would like to practice in the US, that is.Do you have any specific questions? Try to look through this blog (menu in the right column), which should answer most of what you need to know - good luck!!

Hello Aravind!Feel free to look around this blog - you should be able to find most of the information you need here (see the menu on the upper right). You can start with this post: http://premedusa.blogspot.com/2013/07/application-process-overview.htmlGood luck!

Hi Jamie!As far as I know, in order to fulfill the US med school requirements, pre-medical courses need to be taken at a US-approved college, with a US curriculum. These schools do have that, and so I'd say that such coursework should be fine - which is also confirmed at NYU Abu Dhabi official website!

I feel that the Medical School is my calling, but I don't want to major in a pure science (Chemistry or Biology) for several reasons. The most important reason is that if for whatever reason med school doesn't work out, I don't want to become a researcher for the next 30 years of my life (It’s a good job, just doesn't interest me as much as engineering.) Also, as an international student, I plan to come home but I don’t know when, maybe after I graduate or maybe after the Medical School, if I joined it, and here in Egypt this majors cannot get you to any job, literally. So, I am afraid if I didn’t get into medical school I will not find any job.

After a while, I thought about majoring in Biomedical Engineering. However, I saw a lot of reviews on a lot of websites like Quora that a lot of people who were undergraduate in Biomedical Engineering, and they said that if they got back with time, they would have changed their major. Also, a lot of reviews said that it won’t get you a decent job in any medical institution, because, literally, you know a little about everything and you know nothing about anything. Moreover, back to the same problem, if I didn’t make it to medical school and came back to Egypt, I think I will not be able to find a decent job. However, I think Biomedical Engineering would be better than Biology or Chemistry in the aspect of job and money.

I think I am interested in majoring in Computer Science + Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering. I love engineering, but I love medicine more. Also, I am living my family, friends, and my county because of money. So, MONEY matters the most.My questions are:1- Are international students like me eligible for joining Medical Schools?

2- Is medical school the same thing like applying to US Universities?! Are there any medical schools that gives a lot of aid to international students like many universities in the US? For example, I got a huge amount of aid from Trinity.

I'd suggest that you look through various posts on my blog (right hand column menu), especially about Admission Criteria and Pre-Med Course Requirements. For example, note that in order to be eligible to apply for US medical schools, you need to complete the pre-medical course requirements at a US-approved undergraduate program, but you can pick whichever major you like (as long as you also take the pre-medical courses). For financially-related questions, see the post about Paying for Medical School.I hope this helps - good luck!!

It is amazing to see that you are helping so many people out with med school admission in US. I have a very particular case that I'd like to seek our advise on. Do you think you can post your email address here, so that I can explain my entire situation to you. In short, I am Master's student at JHU, but I have completed my undergrad from India. I am planning on taking some premed courses as well. Would like to know my overall chances or if you know of someone with a similar case. Please let me know.ThanksBestAnjali

Hey this table is very useful for me get idea about study medicine in USA and I want to get if someone completed 5 year MD program in Dominica medical university or All saint medical university in carribean islands with clinIcal training in USA , an that person get access to residency program as a usa graduate doctor in USA? pls reply to my e mail adithyaharsha162@gmail.com

Thanks this info is very helpful. How current is this table? Also im here in US last 10yrs on H4. Currently a sophomore in Premed no chance of getting GC in 2 yrs. Am i considered in ternational?what options i hv?

Nice post. I learn something more challenging on different blogs everyday. It will always be stimulating to read content from other writers and practice a little something from their store. I’d prefer to use some with the content on my blog whether you don’t mind. I’ll give you a link on your web blog. I recently came to know about http://dignosco.org/, their Applying to Top Colleges are very effective.Applying to Top Colleges Thanks for sharing.

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Hai Mr. Mark thanks for your services to the international community. Kindly advice on top rated Medical Schools in Caribbean, such as St Georges, Ross etc. Every year at an average of 850 IMG students from each St Georges & Ross are obtaining Residency spots in USA.

Considering these success statistics do you advice the these two colleges are better options for International students?